California Carpet Stewardship Assessment to Increase on January 1, 2019

October 3, 2018 — Sacramento, CA-The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) has announced an updated assessment fee of 35 cents per square yard on all carpet sold or shipped in California, effective January 1, 2019. The rate is an increase from the previous assessment of 25 cents per square yard, set in January 2017. The assessment is collected by the retailer from the consumer, and is then remitted to CARE by way of the carpet manufacturers.

The increase will be confirmed if the Program’s 2018-2022 Plan is approved by CalRecycle, which administers the California Carpet Stewardship Program, at their October 16, 2018 public meeting.

“This is the only planned increase in the assessment included in our recently-submitted 5 Year Plan,” noted CARE Executive Director Robert Peoples. “Should further adjustments be necessary during this time period, CARE will notify retailers as early as possible, with at least 90 days’ notice. CARE is working diligently to increase carpet collection and recycling opportunities, while supporting the recycling infrastructure in the state. We are confident that the Plan will allow us to meet or exceed the required 24% statutory recycling rate as of January 1, 2020.” CARE is continuing to operate under the CARE 2011-2016 Plan and CalRecycle has approved CARE’s request to move forward with notification regarding an assessment increase that will be effective January 1, 2019.”

The assessment funds support the following efforts:

• Ongoing subsidies to carpet recyclers and processors, in support of the carpet recycling industry and manufacturing of products made from recycled carpet. The subsidies help support capital investments in recycling equipment, materials testing and product development – especially in light of the impacts from China’s National Sword on recycling markets overall.
• CARE has awarded $2.3 million in grant funding for capital investment, product testing and market development, and collections projects to establish and expand recycling of California post-consumer carpet. Approximately 90% of those funds were awarded to California-based projects. CARE has approved an additional $5 million in capital investment, new product testing, and collections projects for 2018-19.
• Developing new California-generated post-consumer carpet (PCC) content products, expanding California processing and manufacturing capacity, and encouraging procurement of California PCC-content products by private and government entities.
• Expansion of the carpet public drop-off site program, with a goal of establishing at least one site in every county in California.
• Continuing education/outreach efforts to carpet retailers, installers, manufacturers and consumers to encourage carpet recycling.

Since July 1, 2011, all California carpet manufacturers and retailers have been required under carpet stewardship law AB 2398 to add an assessment fee onto all carpet sold in the state. The law is designed to increase landfill diversion and recycling of post-consumer carpet generated in California. CARE administers the California Carpet Stewardship Program, which is charged with meeting the requirements for carpet recycling set by AB 2398 and new requirements under AB 1158 that went into effect January 2018. In 2017 alone, 98 million pounds of carpet was diverted from the California waste stream through the efforts of retailers, installers, manufacturers, recyclers and the California Carpet Stewardship Program. Since the program started in July 2011, CARE recyclers have kept more than 285,000,000 pounds of old carpet out of California landfills.

The CARE website offers support and resources for retailers, including email notifications and a 30-minute informational webinar on the assessment on Thursday, November 8, at 1:00 p.m. PST. Register here. For more information, visit the CARE website.

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